A manifestly arty film, it succeeds because it sees the relationship between aesthetics and ethics. Anything artificial breeds illness and cruelty, while what is natural heals and elevates-- this is pure romantic doctrine. Andrew Marvel provides the poetic line of the story while Vermeer and Copley shape the visual. The film is essentially a fantasy about consciousness and design, with the uroboros snake a double symbol of infinity and self-destruction. Great scenes of building a "French" Garden in an English (Irish actually) countryside.The Garden turns out rather bleak and by magic gets its comeuppance. Everything about the film is artificial and that plays against its romantic/Shakespearean true love theme. Erotic frustrations under gird motives and Scacchi and Carmen Chaplin supply the juice for the happy tensions. Fine film, with time-shifted homages to restoration drama.
Review of The Serpent's Kiss
The Serpent's Kiss
(1997)
A manifestly arty film, it succeeds because it sees the relationship between aesthetics and ethics.
10 July 2013
Warning: Spoilers